I dont watch a lot but whst I have seen this season is a lack of confidence and not much sense of purpose.

The confidence might be a hangover from last season when things fell away a lot at the business end. Purpose is harder but you do see the comparison with the smaller teams where everyone knows their role, plays it (maybe it doesn't work) and tries their best for the team. N'hants here got beat by Yorks same as us but came out here knowing what they wanted to do and busting a gut. We looked introspective.

Having said that, Smith and Davies have played well and do seem to know what they're doing. Busting and pushing and taking the 1s and 2s, then boundaries when they're there.

meashambear wrote:

Barnard looked a bit unlucky there, although there have been a couple of other close ones.

I keep saying it, something is not right.

We scrambled through a poor standard T20 group, 2 of our 3 championship wins have been extremely unlikely results that on most occasions would have been the opposite and we are currently 4 down for nothing vs Northants 2nds (and we have on paper a strong team out).

It seems like every game we are looking for someone to drag us out of the mire.

Somebody needs to come into the club, raise the standards and set expectations much higher than they currently are within the squad. We are better than this but are being allowed to slack far too often.

This is an amazing anecdote: A building that is less than 70 years old (probably) and no-one knows how old it actually is. Shows you how important record keeping and history is. I guess its just too old for anyone to conclusively remember but in the grand old scheme of things its not too long ago.

My first season watching was in 1993 and I feel like a comparative newcomer, but by the time this work has been completed it will only be the Barnes stand and the Press Box that have been there throughout all my time.

My apologies Devon. 150 wasn't far off...

Devon_Bear wrote:

And well played OHD, doing his best Jack Leach impersonation!

Think 150 is a bit optimistic. Lintott has opened for the seconds the last few games, obviously in preparation for more batting responsibilities for the firsts.

Devon_Bear wrote:

If Jani can keep going and Bamber & OHD can hang on in there for a while, maybe we can get to 150 and at least have something to bowl at.

Can't understand why Lintott batted ahead of Booth & Bamber.

I watched the first four overs and it wasn't a terrible pitch but it did have some variable bounce on a good length. What Cliff and White did well though wad to extract everything possible out of it at good zip. I think we just say it's one of those things.

We wont have long to wait to find out but Davies or Barnard to open with Yates? Cricinfo card has Davies....

I think Jacob's way forward is a bit trickier that Woakes right now. Woakes I think will need over six more likely nine months to recuperate from his injury then I think will do one more season under a Warwicks contact. Relatively straightforward.

Bethell has a decision to make (or England have to make it for him). If he hadn't have played this test, which I think was the plan, he would have gone into the 100 and used that to gain some fluency for England white ball games in September, which then clears him to be part of the Ashes test squad but more likely play white ball games on that tour with the odd red ball warm up. Simple. Now he's got to establish, having now been exposed for this one game, whether he is going to commit fully to being an England test player and as Broad and Vaughan has opined, he's got to do some work to do that. And that work needs to be domestically.

It's a bit like Schroedinger's cat. He's a fine test player so long as he doesn't actually play any test cricket.

Personally, I think his likeliest route to success is white ball only for the next few seasons and then convert back if that doesn't work. In any case, he just needs to nail down something. England did him no favours this year by seemingly saying he was #3 cover then bunging him in at six. Likewise, not deciding what disciplines and formats he will play generally will see him suffer from confusion.

If this is the end for him internationally be interesting to see where he goes. His central contract is up soon and can't see him getting any franchise gigs over the winter because of injury. I think its a touch early for a full retirement - so does he get a full season next year under a Warks contract?

If he makes some runs he could ensure reputation is enhanced. On the whole though, I agree with what you say, it's a limited opportunity. I mentioned on another feed somewhere that it wouldn't make sense (unless for injury) for Jacob to play just one more red ball game, he's going to be white ball only for the rest of the season after.

UrsaMinor wrote:

No specialist spinner and 9 of the 11 having first class centuries to their name: I think we're playing for a draw.
Opportunities for Bethell to make his mark there.

I think if the Kook games have taught us anything, it's watch the very first bit and see if there is anything in the pitch and conditions for the bowlers, around 30-60 mins, and if nothing then give up watching for three days. Then see how two big scores against each other pan out on the final afternoon. Think this will be one of those cases. I'm not against it though painful to watch your team bowl with little chance of a wicket watching runs rack up for hours...

Watched overs 6-11 just now, Bamber and OHD bowling. Bamber has just about got a fractional amount out of the ball early but not much, looks fine for batting on. I'm presuming this is a Kook game? Worth noticing just after I started watching the ball stopped moving. Combined with what I saw on two new balls in the Worcester game I think you get about 6-10 overs where you can get something out of it, after that it's dead. The point Andy made in the previous game is true here as well, it's not very threatening without that extra bit of pace. It reminds me of Chris Woakes just before he became a successful test bowler with a little more pace, Mike Atherton had described him as "just a bit friendly". OHD is too old for this now but Bamber might get some rewards for one more yard of pace in the years to come.

Good to see a century from Lintott. I would be logical to assume that he tries to improve his batting now the novelty about his left-arm wrist spin has worn off a bit on the first team circuit. good for him - nice example of a growth mindset. Like to see Booth playing as well, I presume Hassan is off for the season now, hopefully Booth takes his slot in the first team roster.

I think it's unlikely Bethell will be back this season now. Don't think it makes sense for him to play one red ball game only (whether it be the England test or at Essex) then its 100 and then September is white ball England games. Its all set for him to play 100 then a major part in the England games. I don't mind this. We've just had a game when Mousley and Malik have done alright and should go again.

In any case, I'd really prefer Mouse and Jacob to just concentrate on something. They've been playing 4 formats and both have oscillated between bowling and batting roles. If Mouse just looks to tighten up his batting and Jacob concentrates on white ball, I think we're in a better place. They're both still young enough to add bits to their game later.

Highveld wrote:

It is unlikely that adding an all formats international player would actually weaken the side. Someone does not become a successful international player at Jacob's age, Just 21 remember, withoutout having an exceptional level of ability, and being able to perform even when he hasn't played a lot recently.

Do we really want to repeat the mistakes of "Badbatch"? or continue the rewarding of mediocrity of the Robinson era?

If Bethell is available he should play.

In cricketing terms, it probably is, hence my caveat that people can judge it how they like, but I do like the link to statistical analysis - a bit nerdy on this as is part of my job. Do agree with Highveldt that baseball takes it to the next level while the current Bazball age (in the UK) does seem to reduce the emphasis on data and replacing it with 'vibes' which is far more fun to discuss.

Andy wrote:

This business of taking batters averages but removing the highest and/or lowest scores, then revising the average and then judging the player accordingly is pretty mad, no?!

Yes I more agree with this. What cricket and individuals do is up to themselves, but a valid statistical approach would be to strip out the outliers, so the top two and the bottom two most likely. It's distorting in itself just to remove the highest score.

LeicesterExile wrote:

Isn't the best way to get to a true average batting average is to remove the highest and lowest score and work on what is left.

I get it's been bad and whose fault it is - but what's actually happening? Is it just Shazad getting a lot out of the new ball?

So between Miles and Taz for the final spot? I was looking for Sheikh to get a game to capitalise on his Eng u19s form.

Latham was always going ro miss this because of NZ tesrs in Zim. Reading from this I don't think Bethell will play red ball this season now, probably just plays 100 and Blast, maybe metro bank, to get ready for England white ball in September. I presume Hain is injured but one does worry now.

Two batsmen missing leaves a huge hole. Not sure the bowling is that weak but definitely lacks a bit of a change up.

I'm prepared to believe I have remembered badly for the "pre-Bob" period of his Warks career, clearly he had been given every opportunity, but I am fairly certain when him and Liam Norwell arrived it was Norwell that things were really expected of and that Miles was a 'buy one get one half-price' sort of addition. Either way, I think we're all united in the fact a move probably will work well for him, he's put in the effort and we wish him well. So the important stuff. I also think we agree that some of the first-team and development coaching could be improved just a scootch.

GerryShedd wrote:

I don't go with the view that Miles was only ever seen as a back-up/support bowler. At the time of his signing, he was thought of as one of the most promising young pace bowlers in the country. He made his debut at age 16 and was described by Gloucestershire coach Mark Alleyne as "a precocious talent." For Gloucestershire, he took 255 wickets in 68 first-class matches at an average of 26.68.
Admittedly, that was in the second division; but the potential was clearly there.
So I think that this is another instance where the Bears bowling coaches haven't done a great job in bringing on a young bowler.

Feed commentator says 0.07 behind us.... Basically can't afford to lose against Derby now whereas before today it was theoretically possible to go through with a defeat.

Exiled Bear wrote:

Think Worcs will squeak past us, so a win tomorrow is now definitely necessary.

I was just watching on the feed. A caller said if Worcs get just over 200 (which they just did) and Notts lose with 160 in reply, then that's enough for Worcs to overtake us on NRR with their games played out. Some great hitting by Brookes to get them there.